Protecting Resources: Urban Demands on Rural Land

Urban areas place substantial demands on rural land, shaping the ways that land is used. The United States today, unquestionably an urban nation, routinely transports water, energy, and waste products over great distances, taking advantage of rural land resources to serve the country's cities. Early loss of these rural land resources may foreclose important options for future development and growth. The risk of loss springs from the power of current engineering technology, and from the difficulties of making effective decisions about resource allocation, within an environment of diverse and often conflicting interests. An inventory of these resources, to establish their location and potential value, would be a first step toward assuring their protection for future use.